Warning about overpriced deeds

The Wisconsin Better Business Bureau is warning homeowners to be wary of a company selling property deeds. Susan Bach of the BBB explains her agency started getting inquiries last week from Wisconsinites about a company called “Deed Retrieval Services.”

Bach says the letter looks really official, “like it’s a bill from the U.S. Government for a copy of your property deed, but it’s not. It’s actually a solicitation,” she says, “they’re trying to sell homeowners a copy of their deed for $87, which you can actually get for yourself for a lot cheaper.”

It’s a solution without a problem. Bach says homeowners probably already have a copy of their property deed filed with all the paperwork after purchasing the house. You don’t need to be scammed into paying 30 times the price of your deed for a new one.

If you need one, Bach says you can get a copy for about $3 from your local county clerk or register of deed’s office. If you already paid the $87, you probably can’t get that money back because the solicitation wasn’t illegal. “What they’re doing isn’t illegal, but it’s not the most ethical sales practices.”